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Offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of McGill University, who was selected in the NFL draft on Saturday, takes a water break during practice at a local high school field in St. Petersburg, Florida on January, 15, 2014. (QMI Agency)

Brent Urban, of Mississauga, Ont., led a group of four players with Canadian backgrounds selected in the first six rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens selected the defensive end from the University of Virginia with the 34th pick of the fourth round, 134th overall, on Saturday.

Two Winnipeg-born players, raised in the United States, were also picked before McGill University offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was finally selected.

Duvernay-Tardif, who hails from Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., was seen as a third- or fourth-round pick by many experts, but was passed over until late in the sixth round when the Kansas City Chiefs made him the 200th pick of the draft.

Urban, who turned 23 on Monday, is a 6-foot-7, 295-pounder in the mould of the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt, who similarly plays defensive end (or 5-technique) in a 3-4 scheme -- which is what the Ravens employ.

"They're a great team, with great coaches," Urban told QMI Agency in a phone interview Saturday night, "with a defensive legacy going on there dating back to when I watched them as a kid, with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

"I can't wait to get started and start competing, and see where I fit in."

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome was the one who called Urban with the good news.

"They were surprised I was still available. They said picking me was a no-brainer," Urban said.

He did not take a pre-draft visit to Baltimore, but the Ravens interviewed him at the scouting combine in February.

"They seemed pretty interested," Urban said.

As he recovers from surgery on his right ankle, Urban probably will watch from the sidelines this week during the Ravens' rookie mini-camp, but should be ready to go by training camp in July.

The CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats drafted Urban last year, with the 16th overall pick in the second round. Obviously he won't be going that route now.

The second player with Canadian ties to be drafted was John Urschel, an interior offensive lineman from Penn State. The Ravens selected him, too, near the end of the fifth round, 175th overall.

Born in Winnipeg, Urschel attended high school in Williamsville, N.Y., and considers that his hometown, but did spend time growing up in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

Urschel is a true scholar athlete, posting a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in earning two mathematics degrees from Penn State.

The third player with Canadian ties to be drafted was T.J. Jones -- a smallish, flashy and at times dazzling wide receiver at Notre Dame.

Jones was born in Winnipeg. His father, linebacker Andre Jones, played on Notre Dame's 1988 national championship team and lived in Winnipeg with his wife in 1991 while playing for the CFL's Blue Bombers.

The younger Jones lived in Canada only as an infant and considers Roswell, Ga., his hometown.

Duvernay-Tardif, 23, is a med-school student at Montreal's McGill University. This spring he has interned in the ER at Montreal Children's Hospital, taking his last shift on Friday.​

His frame -- 6-foot-5¼ and 315 pounds -- is ideal for an NFL tackle. In power, speed and athleticism drills at his late-March pro day, Duvernay-Tardif rated at or near the top of this year's entire NFL offensive-linemen rookie class.

Kansas City was among seven teams he visited in April.

"I had a good feeling after that visit," Duvernay-Tardif told QMI Agency Saturday night in a phone interview from Montreal. "I had good conversations over 36 hours with (Chiefs head coach) Andy Reid and his offensive line coaches. We had pretty good chemistry.

"They were one of the few times to want to know a lot more about me … I'm leaving tomorrow to go there to start practising."

Duvernay-Tardif said the Chiefs have not told him whether they intend to keep him at offensive tackle, where he played at McGill, or maybe move him to guard.